Togo’s ruling party, the Union for the Republic (UNIR), has secured a sweeping victory in the country’s recent municipal elections, claiming 1,150 seats — about 75.3% of the total — according to preliminary results.
The opposition parties trailed far behind, with the National Alliance for Change (ANC) winning 51 seats and the Union of Forces for Change (UFC) securing 38.
These elections, held just weeks after controversial constitutional reforms, mark the first vote since a change that could potentially allow President Faure Gnassingbé to remain in power indefinitely. Gnassingbé, who has ruled since 2005, is already one of Africa’s longest-serving leaders.
Despite the importance of the elections, voter turnout was notably low. In the capital city Lomé, many polling stations were largely empty, a trend attributed to widespread public apathy and the recent government crackdown on protests against the constitutional changes at the end of June.
The electoral outcome is not yet final. Political parties have up to five days from the announcement of preliminary results to file objections before the results are officially confirmed.
